Tag Archives: spirit

An Ash Wednesday Prayer

14 Wednesday Feb 2018

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God of all creation,
you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and you abound in steadfast love.

Today as I enter the closet of my heart,
I discover a lifetime of memories stored there –
some I would prefer to forget and leave behind,
others that remind me how truly blessed I am.

Today I hear again your invitation to renewal –
I hear it with every fiber of my being,
having been created in your image,
formed of the dust of your earth,
enlivened by the breath of your spirit,
established in the strength of your grace!

In these forty days of Lent, it is my heart’s desire
to surrender old harmful habits that yield nothing,
and to take up new holy habits that lead to life.

May this Lenten journey return me to a place of trust,
where my fear is conquered by your holy unshakable love,
where I am healed and made whole in the aliveness of life,
where doing justice,
and loving mercy,
and walking humbly with you,
are the ways of being that matter most.

 Hands2a

Copyright (c) 2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson

The Audacity of Divine Love

14 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by in Peace with justice, Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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FullSizeRender-2God who watches over our world,
who companions us along life’s way,
who breathes life into our lives,
we come to lift our praise-filled voices,
to utter our heart’s trembling cries,
to be still, and to know,
to be struck again by the audacity of divine love.

Jesus, Lamb of God,
the one in whom we see love most freely given,
the one who is Rabbi, healer, and friend,
this Jesus invites us to open our eyes
and look with compassion on the needs of the world –
needs for basic necessities of food and shelter,
adequate health care and clean water,
needs for spiritual nourishment and hope,
a cup of life-restoring water,
needs for community and solidarity,
bridging differences with other children of God.

Jesus, the Christ of love’s kingdom,
in whom broken places are mended
and neighbors find common cause healing the world,
this Jesus invites us to open our ears
and hear the summons to follow –
following the Master’s voice,
becoming people brimming with holy grace,
following to places where our comforts are put aside
by the one who disturbs the status quo,
following the call to reshape the world around us
by going where Christ’s love and footsteps show.

Spirit of love, holy wind, breath of life,
replenish our spirits and claim us anew.
Grant us the strength we need
to break down walls of injustice,
to speak up for those on the margins,
to stand with all who are suffering,
to follow all the way to the cross, no turning back.

Spirit of truth, holy word of life,
charge us with a mission of mercy,
a partnership of peace,
that we might more fully live
into your vision of wholeness & shalom.

May your Church,
Creator, Christ, and holy wind,
be faithful in service,
courageous in witness,
steady in fighting injustice,
loyal in our allegiance to the gospel,
savvy in confronting evil,
persistent in walking the path of peace,
and above all,
loving in our actions toward friend and foe.

Bless this earthly home with protection and care.
Bless your people with resurrection power.
Bless decision-makers with a compassionate wisdom,
journalists with the boldness of truth,
and citizens with boundless energy
in the pursuit of the common good.

We pray all of this in the name of Jesus,
who pronounces blessings upon anyone seeking
to align their lives with your kingdom of love. Amen.

Words (c) Mark Lloyd Richardson, 2017

With Sighs Too Deep For Words

23 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Poems, Reflections

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Pentecost Sky

Pentecost Sky

We do not know what we should rightly pray for,
but the spirit intercedes with groans that cannot be uttered,
and he searching our hearts perceives the mind of the spirit,
since as God commands the spirit intercedes to help the saints.
~ Romans 8:26-27

The spirit,
from your first breath,
breathes God’s loving intentions through you.

You,
in your weakness,
don’t know enough to welcome this silent grace.

Your days are littered
with numbed neglect of your soul
and unresponsiveness to the groans of creation.

When you pray
the noises of your mind clamor and disrupt
the stillness where you had hoped to find rest.

Yet below the words
in a deeper, mysterious consciousness
the divine within appeals to the divine above.

There your heart is laid bare,
and with sighs too deep for words
the spirit intercedes to help you find your way.

This day’s sorrow
takes the hand of your heart’s undying gladness
and crosses over into the mystery where hope resides.

Pentecost 2015
Words © 2015 Mark Lloyd Richardson

In the Stillness Find Grace

10 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in Centering Prayer, Reflections

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Meditation Chapel at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara, California

Meditation Chapel at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara, California

Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.

Our hour of centering prayer in the small Meditation Chapel tucked among the oak trees was nearing an end recently when our facilitator, Jeanette, said words to this effect.

I am always grateful to be able to sit prayerfully in silence with others. It is a community of prayer that lends support and peace to my life. Centering prayer is a contemplative form of giving your intention to God, and allowing your body, mind, and spirit to simply be in the presence of the Holy. It’s not about forming words or thoughts, like so much of the prayer I am asked to do in my work as a minister. Even though I am conscious of trying to let go of the need to say the right words or the best words when I pray in public, there is usually a sense that someone (not least of all myself) is measuring those words for an adequate expression of faith.

In centering prayer I let go of any need to satisfy others and simply sit in the stillness that is able to fill the cathedral of my inner being. Even when thoughts arise and distract me from my prayerful intention, I do not worry that my prayer is inadequate. I am aware of the Spirit welcoming me again and again into life and joy.

Jesus said, “The Reign of God has come near.”

For me, one of the most powerful settings for God to release the healing balm of grace is in a contemplative community praying alongside one another.

Words (c) 2014 Mark Lloyd Richardson

God’s Indiscriminate Grace

01 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Peace with justice, Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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Easter Flower Cross 2014 (painted)

Easter Flower Cross 2014 (painted)

The following is a Prayer of Thanksgiving for Eucharist or Holy Communion on the Third Sunday of Easter this coming weekend.

Holy and Wise God,
whose presence is made known in light and darkness,
whose promises are made complete in reconciling love,
whose power is made perfect in weakness,
whose possibilities are made tangible in new signs of life,
we gather around this table in thanksgiving and praise.

We thank you for the beauty of this earth,
for the gifts of communion and community
for the bonds of love among friends and family,
for the blessings of this one precious and holy life.
We praise you that in Jesus Christ
we are able to see and experience life in its fullness.

Jesus walked this life with his friends along many paths.
Jesus talked with people who didn’t attend synagogue;
yet he considered them good candidates for the kingdom.
Jesus ate with sinners, met with troubled people,
and didn’t bother checking with those self-appointed
to uphold what is good and right and holy.
Jesus was a rabble-rouser, a loose cannon, a troublemaker;
in his worldview God’s Realm of indiscriminate grace
was far more important than any human institution.

Jesus took simple bread and declared it to be holy.
Jesus told us we would do well to eat this meal in solidarity
with all who hunger and don’t have enough to eat.
Jesus said hunger is not God’s plan for humanity,
unless it is hunger for the kingdom, hunger to be whole.
And he said, those who truly know God
open their eyes to the troubles others endure;
they hunger and thirst for just relationships with all.

So this is a symbolic meal, even though it is more.
The suffering of Jesus is laid before us in his body and blood.
The hope of Christ is spread before us in symbols
of the eternal banquet where all are welcome,
all are blessed,
and all receive the saving grace of an extravagant God.

Thanks be to God for these wonderful gifts
that draw us into the presence of the risen Christ,
whose Spirit is alive and working in the midst of this community,
whose power is felt in the sharing of this amazing grace.

Words (c) 2014 Mark Lloyd Richardson
Photo (c) 2014 Dallis Day Richardson

Resting in God

10 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Centering Prayer, Prayers, Reflections

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Photo credit: Debbie Gara

Photo credit: Debbie Gara

While living in Hawaii, the scent of Plumeria flowers permeated our yard and infused the air with a kind of lingering sweetness that stirred up within me a sense of gratitude for the gift of life. It also serves as a metaphor to me for the permeating presence of the Divine (or the Sacred or Holy) in all human experience.

My spirituality is rooted in the practice of contemplative prayer, and specifically a prayer method known as Centering Prayer, because this is the spiritual practice that I have found to be most nourishing to my soul. Like other people of faith, I naturally also say many other quick prayers throughout each day – prayers of intercession for the needs of people with whom I have some relationship, as well as prayers for the common good of society and our world. Yet I return again and again to the simple practice of “resting in God” that is the essence of Centering Prayer. I think I am drawn to this form of prayer communication because it is the most reassuring and restorative for me. It is less about my own process of thinking or feeling, and more about simply trusting in the sweetness of this life that is imbued with holiness and beauty because it is born within God!

Recently I was touched by something Father Thomas Keating wrote about the theological basis for Centering Prayer in his book Intimacy with God:

“Where does Centering Prayer come from? Its source is the Trinity dwelling within us. It is rooted in God’s life within us. I don’t think that we reflect about this truth nearly enough. With baptism comes the entire uncreated presence of the most holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We participate as human beings in God’s life just by being alive, but much more through grace…. This stream of divine love that is constantly renewed in the life of the Trinity is infused into us through grace. We know this by our desire for God. That desire, however it may be battered by the forces of daily life, manifests itself in the effort that we make to develop a life of prayer and a life of action that is penetrated by prayer.” ~ Thomas Keating

It is important to say that Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other forms of prayer. Rather it casts them in a new light and reminds us of the need to listen for the movement of the Spirit within us and around us. It recasts our actions into prayerful actions.

Here is a simple outline for a period (20 to 40 minutes) of Centering Prayer:

  1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
  2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word.
  3. When engaged with thoughts, gently return to the sacred word.
  4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

May God bless you as you seek to be present to the Sacred amidst the ordinary!

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

Photo credit: Debbie Gara

Photo credit: Debbie Gara

Something Beautiful

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Peace with justice, Prayers, Worship Liturgy

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DSCN0054

The following Prayers for Healing are suitable for congregational worship, personal devotion, or a healing worship service conducted at a time other than Sunday morning.

Prayers for the healing of persons in body, mind, and spirit

God of mercy and strength,
Hear us as we pray for those who suffer this day.
You desire that we be whole people —
healthy in body, mind, and spirit.
You desire that our relationships with one another
be healthy and marked by wholeness.
We pray for any who are experiencing illness or disease.
We pray for any who are troubled in mind or spirit.
Pour out your Spirit upon all in need,
touch the deepest parts of our beings
with your healing mercies and strength.
Make something beautiful of our lives….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Prayers for the healing of nations and societies

God of power and love,
Hear us as we pray for the nations of this world.
For societies scarred by consumerism,
we pray for a growing appreciation
for values consistent with your message of grace.
For environments scarred by human carelessness and greed,
we pray for healing of the land and of all your creatures.
For nations such as ours, experiencing deep divisions,
we pray for the renewal of community and the common good.
Make something beautiful of our country….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Prayers for peace with justice, and the healing of the world

God of justice and peace,
Hear us as we pray for peace with justice for all people,
and for the healing of the world.
For war-torn lands, we pray for lasting and secure peace.
For corners of our world marked by corruption and callousness,
we pray for the strength to stand up in opposition.
In any place where the poor, the alien, or the needy are trampled,
we pray for the courage to work for justice.
Make us into instruments of your peace.
Make something beautiful of our world….

Song “Something Beautiful”

Words (c) 2013, Mark Lloyd Richardson

Fasting and Feasting

18 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by in Reflections, Sermon portions

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548640866fA pear seed grows up into a pear tree,
a nut seed grows up into a nut tree–
but a seed of God grows into God, to God.
~ Meister Eckhart

Lent is an invitation to reflect on our faith experience, a time to delve more deeply into the spiritual meaning of our lives. We study the life and ministry of Jesus for clues about the will of God and the work of the Spirit in the world. We seek fresh insight into the basic patterns of the Christian life – prayer, worship, reading Scripture, and giving our selves as servants of Christ.

During this 40-day period, we begin with ashes and commit to a discipline that we believe will ultimately be resurrecting! It may involve fasting from certain foods or activities. But it will certainly involve feasting as we gather on the Sabbath and receive the bread and cup of communion with Christ as nourishment for this spiritual journey.

We have an opportunity in these forty days to renew the commitment of our way to Christ. This is our chance to put our faith into practice in new ways. This is a time set aside for us to “grow into God, to God.”

A short piece from the curriculum The Whole People of God provides an opening for us to choose how we will use this holy season. We are invited to…

Fast from pessimism, and feast on optimism.

Fast from criticism, and feast on praise.

Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy.

Fast from bitterness, and feast on forgiveness.

Fast from idle gossip, and feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from jealousy, and feast on love.

Fast from discouragement, and feast on appreciation.

Fast from complaining, and feast on hope.

Fast from selfishness, and feast on service.

Fast from fear, and feast on faith.

Fast from anger, and feast on patience.

Fast from self-concern, and feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discontent, and feast on gratitude.

Fasting and feasting – not just for the experience, but for the same reasons Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit following his baptism by John. Jesus was preparing for the saving mission of a loving God – the mission of restoring creation, the human family, the sick, the lonely and isolated, the marginalized and vulnerable, back into the truth of who they are, beloved ones made in God’s own image!

Just as Jesus was baptized and given a blessing, and then sent into the wilderness to contemplate that blessing, so it is for us. You and I – Christ’s body on earth – have a mission, to share God’s gracious love and resurrecting hope in every possible way!

The season of Lent calls us to choose: Choose life! Choose grace! Choose compassion! Choose justice! Choose blessing! In the desert experience of Lent, may God grant us to the grace to grow in wisdom and in love. In the wilderness of this holy season, may God lead us along the resurrection road to a place called hope.

What is your commitment this Lent? What do you choose to do or not do as a way to move toward the Center of this human adventure where we meet God?

Words (c) 2013 Mark Lloyd Richardson

 

A Room Made Holy

02 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Poems

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(Photo credit: Steven Davis, Pali Lookout – Oahu, Hawaii, March 18, 2009)

A Room Made Holy

The drive over the Pali doesn’t distract me as I had hoped.
The State Hospital looms large, like a guarded estate
perched on the verdant Hawaiian hillside.

The burdens I carry on this self-imposed day of reckoning
are no less formidable—a marriage lying in ruins,
a heart dashed against the rocks, an aching loneliness.
Why would anyone want to listen to another lost soul?
Indeed, I have tired of my own complaints.
Surely God must be weary of me as well.

Where does a minister go to unburden himself?
Who will pray for me when my own prayers
are strewn about like so much brittle lava?
Who will utter words of my acceptance into the human race?
Who will walk beside me while sorrow slowly yields
to the promise of God making a way in the wilderness?

I knock and a man appears at the door.
He is expecting me, and invites me in.
I reveal to him my desolate spirit, my God-forsakenness.
His eyes are a reflecting pool of compassion.

The room becomes holy—my chair an altar,
the icon of Christ a window into grace,
the Buddha on the floor a reminder to let seriousness go,
the former priest my spiritual companion.
We sit among the questions and do not worry about answers.

One thing is certain–the fire nearly went out.
So I fan the flames of my spirit-fire each day.
It is all any of us can do.
It is enough.

Words (c) 2007 Mark Lloyd Richardson, reflecting on an experience in 1999 while living in Hawaii
Photo: I am grateful to Steven Davis for giving me permission to use his photograph that I discovered on Flickr. You can also find his photos at http://www.stevendavisphoto.com.

In Tune with the Song

16 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in Sermon portions

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Our experience of faith changes as we move through life. It changes as our understanding deepens and allows for more paradox in the fabric of faith. It changes as our eyes are opened to the truly bewildering gift life is and the astonishing lack of control we have over it.

In First John we read: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.” (5:2-4)

God-inspired love reaches well beyond our comfort zones and natural boundaries to enable us to greet each person as an image of the Creator. Such love begins in simple obedience to the great commandments – loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and loving others as we love ourselves.

A few years ago Dallis and I stood in solidarity with a congregation that had publicly stated its inclusive stance toward all people, and was targeted by a hate-filled person as a result. Their pastor later visited him in county jail to tell him that the people of the church were willing to forgive. Sometimes love is not a happy feeling but rather a difficult choice to obey God’s commandment.

The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard observed, “Christianity is not a doctrine to be taught, but a life to be lived.” Christ teaches us a new way to live, not all bottled up in our self-interest or personal comfort, but moving beyond ourselves to make a difference.

Nicole, a colleague of mine who recently launched a house church with four families, wrote a blog post about the experience of their first gathering. They began by viewing a teaching video by Rob Bell that makes a connection between the Christian life and music, suggesting that following God is about “being in tune with the song.”

Nicole writes, “Most all of us can connect to the idea that when we think of God we hear a song and following God is about learning to be in tune with the song. Jesus shows us what this looks like and following him through living as he did enables us to hear the song and be in tune with the song….

“This is especially important to me because over the years I have been struck by how often people will say they don’t know enough about God or the Bible and will discount their experience of faith, believing that without all the knowledge and background their faith and walk with God is less valid….

“Yet with music, all can enjoy the song…. Everyone can participate in the music and have a valid and real experience of it…. The faith journey is about learning to let go and hear the song, love the song, and live into the song as our text for the night says (John 4: 24, The Message): ‘God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration’” [Nicole Reilly, “House Church Reflection 051112,” othermodels.wordpress.com].

As followers of Jesus we pattern our lives after Christ. Our faith does not mean that we don’t meet opposition or trouble in our lives. Rather the Spirit of this Christ accompanies us even when we face challenges. As we listen faithfully and lovingly to the God who gives us new birth into a living hope we receive the strength to overcome.

When troubles come my way, it helps me to remember that God is at the Center. Then I sense the Spirit that is present in my breathing, the Light that refuses to go out in the darkness, the Beauty that bursts forth in unexpected places, the Love that holds me when I most need it, the Song that sings itself within me! I place my trust in these truths and it gives me courage.

Words (c) 2012 Mark Lloyd Richardson (from this past Sunday’s sermon)
Photos (c) 2012 Dallis Day Richardson